HomeNext What is Pete Hegseth's military grooming policy?
Sailors' beard overshadows US Defense Secretary's Navy visit Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Navy ship visit was marred by observations of bearded sailors, conflicting with his own grooming policy.
Updated on: Jul 10, 2026, 18:14:01 IST By Shweta Kukreti Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy link Amidst the ongoing war between the US and Iran, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embarked on a Navy ship for what was intended to be a standard visit with sailors.
Amidst the US-Iran conflict, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to a Navy ship revealed concerns over his beard policy enforcement. (REUTERS) However, the visit was overshadowed by the presence of facial hair: Hegseth observed several sailors with beards, seemingly breaching a more stringent policy he had implemented last year that limits beards in most cases, CNN reported, citing defense official and emails that referenced the defense secretary's calls for action to be taken.
Hegseth departed the ship contemplating whether the personnel at the Pentagon were attentive to his beard policy and the various policy modifications he has implemented within the workforce, according to a CNN report.
A Pentagon official, who had specialization in civilian personnel policy, informed colleagues via email in June, stating, the SecWar is closely monitoring the advancements of the EEO [Equal Employment Opportunity] reforms.
“In fact, the push is to move faster … there is a need to revamp some of our timelines.” This incident illustrates Hegseth's strong emphasis on personnel policies, particularly those intertwined with cultural conflicts, even as the US military engages in operations ranging from Iran to the Caribbean.
The 46-year-old veteran of the Iraq war has also introduced Christian prayer services at the Pentagon and has threatened to sever connections with Scouting America due to its "woke" policies.
According to the Pentagon, he “visited the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego in June and the USS Boxer in Singapore in May.” Pentagon speaks about Pete Hegseth's facial hair policy In response to a request for comment, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told CNN: Hegseth “maintains the highest expectations for our service members to uphold the professional standards of appearance, fitness, and discipline that define our warfighting force, and he continues to emphasize consistent enforcement of hair, weight, and grooming standards across all ranks.” Parnell added that commanders will be held responsible for achieving results as the Department strives to reestablish a culture of excellence and readiness.
In September, he released a memo that imposed stricter regulations on beards and the approval of medical exemptions for their growth, overturning years of established policy.
"No more beardos," Hegseth declared during a speech to hundreds of senior military officials.
“The era of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done,” he added.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shweta Kukreti Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics.
She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk.
She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events.
Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives.
She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics.
In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team.
She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World.
Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work.
Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC).
She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi.
If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh.
She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family.
